# Single malt scotch



## maxlexi (Sep 2, 2011)

Single Malt Scotch

What would you recommend for a beginning scotch single malt drinker. I dont want anything super strong. I have tried johnny walker black and dewars blended scotches and I hated the iodine flavor. I want something very smooth with lots of fruit notes, but most importantly smooth and very good.

I have heard that Macallan 12 and dalmore are good.


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## waylman (Aug 15, 2011)

Macallan 12 is good. My fav is glenfiddich 12 or older. Johnny walker black is good scotch though. If you dont like it you may just not have acquired the taste for scotch yet.


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## cartey (Jul 28, 2011)

Macallan 12 is quite aceeptable, but it's more on the oaky/woody side.
If you're looking for fruity and vanilla, Glenmorangie Original (10 years, white oak cask)or the Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (12 years, ruby port cask after white oak cask) should fit the shoes. And the Quinta Ruban is >>> Original.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Johnny walker is awful stuff IMO. The variety with single malts is so large you will certainly find something you like. 

If you don't like salty/iodine like flavors, stay away from Isla whisky. Peat is typically their trademark.

If you like sweet look for things aged in Sherry casks. They will often be a little darker in color (Macallan is 100% sherry, not counting fine oak line). Glenmorangie offers a lot that are finished (final few years) in wine casks. I like the Quinta Ruban from them, very smooth with some sweetness and caramel flavors. 

If you like the woody taste look for stuff aged in whisky barrels. Many companies do a combination of whisky and sherry for balance. I like the Glenfiddich 15. very smooth, but just a hint of wood that isn't present in something like the Macallan 10. Something very light could be something like Glenlivet.

Many people on here recommend the Balvennie Doublewood. It is pretty good. It's sweet, very little wood, and no peat. I say check out something from Glenmorangie, they have some real tasty stuff.


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## anonobomber (Aug 29, 2011)

I like Glenlivet 12 year.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Oban; good smooth, nice nose, pleasant sweetness on the finish.


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## Tan18_01 (Jun 2, 2011)

I will second the Macallan and Glenmorrangie recommendations.
I love these and tend to lean towards highland and speysides.

I recently had some of the Cragganmore 12YO and found that to be quite nice. Didn't have much smokeyness/peat at all, but wasn't too sweat either. Some floral and woody notes.

For peaty malts, I find Laphroaig and Lagavulin are good benchmark.

Hope this helps .


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

Excellent suggestions. I'll throw my 2 cents in with the Glenmorangie. I like the regular stuff and the Cask Strength is incredible!

Glennfiddich 15 and up is excellent but the 12 will do in a pinch as well.

I also love Laphroaig but you gotta love the peat for it.

I did not like any Johnny Walker that I've had. I also tried Balvenie Single Barrel and didn't care for it.


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## JohnnyFlake (May 31, 2006)

maxlexi said:


> Single Malt Scotch
> 
> What would you recommend for a beginning scotch single malt drinker. I dont want anything super strong. I have tried johnny walker black and dewars blended scotches and I hated the iodine flavor. I want something very smooth with lots of fruit notes, but most importantly smooth and very good.
> 
> I have heard that Macallan 12 and dalmore are good.


I have to say that Johnnie Walker Black is my go to scotch and has been for well over 40 years. It is one of the truest examples of straight forward blended scotch! I am sorry that it does not fit within your flavor profile.

With respect to what you are looking for, the following should fit nicely:

Aberlour 12yo Sherry Cask Matured
The Balvenie 10yo Founders Reserve
The Balvenie 12yo Double Wood
Teachers Highland Cream
Cragganmore 12yo
Highland Park 12yo
Highland Park 18yo


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## Frodo (Oct 1, 2009)

maxlexi said:


> I want something very smooth with lots of fruit notes... I have heard that Macallan 12 and dalmore are good.


1) Balvenie 12 Doublewood and Glenfiddich 15 match your descriptors of what OP is looking for very well. Aberlour would be another good choice.

2) Macallan 12 is more full-bodied than the afore-mentioned suggestions and will come across not as smooth. Dalmore is less full-bodied but not as honeyish as the first two I mentioned.

3) The expressions of Glenlevit, Craggenmore and Glenmorangie mentioned above do not have significant sherry casking in their bottlings so they lack the dark fruitiness that OP asked for.Glenlevit has fruitiness but it differs from sherry casked-fruitiness...


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Go with the Balvenie Doublewood, as suggested by Frodo. 

Another one you may like is the Glenlivit 15, it's aged in french oak sherry casks.


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## Beer Alchemist (Aug 17, 2011)

You would love Laphroaig 10 year ...just kidding...most of the big label common stuff listed will be fine. I'd just take the list of recommendations to the store and buy the one with the best price and keep doing that until you really dial in what you like.


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## Tan18_01 (Jun 2, 2011)

I'd suggest popping into a good bar with a nice single malt selections and having a chat with the bartender (if theres one close to you). Turns out much more expensive than buying by the bottle, but its better than buying a bottle that you don't like.

After trying a few things you might decide that you actually want something else.

I started off doing this, and still try to sample new malts whenever I'm out.


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## Cigar Noob (May 22, 2011)

Tan18_01 said:


> I'd suggest popping into a good bar with a nice single malt selections and having a chat with the bartender (if theres one close to you). Turns out much more expensive than buying by the bottle, but its better than buying a bottle that you don't like.
> 
> After trying a few things you might decide that you actually want something else.
> 
> I started off doing this, and still try to sample new malts whenever I'm out.


This is actually the best recommendation thus far. I always suggest this too, it worked great for me. Find a nice Irish bar (not a fancy scotch bar, too pricey) and ask the bartender. Look at their whisky list, smell some of the offerings, tell the guy what you are looking for. You can really spread your money around to 5-10 different whiskies for what one bottle would cost.

Also, don't omit all Peated whiskies from one bad experience, you may find one you like. Me, I can't stand Laphroaig, but love Ardbeg and Lagavulin. Go back to them after a few months, you may be surprised at how your tastes have changed.

If you live anywhere near a Total Wine and more, and they sell liquor, look for the Shieldaig 18. It is an exclusive for them and at $40, you are unlikely to find a smoother 18yr at that price point.


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Cigar Noob said:


> Me, I can't stand Laphroaig, but love Ardbeg and Lagavulin.


Laphroaig isn't great, but Ardbeg is like licking a chimney. Lagavulin, however... that cannot be beat. Best scotch in the world. Talisker is a close second.


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## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I consider myself a "scotch" guy and have a pretty good
collection. The issue always comes to which one best compliments the cigar.
I tend to enjoy ISOM's and have found that many fine scotch's
blur the flavors of some of my favorite cigars.
Glen 12, tend to work well with a big variety of cigars and
would recommend it to most noobs.
Teachers is also overlooked and works wonderfully with cigars that give cocoa/spice notes


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

I love scotch, but I have a hard time drinking _any_ scotch with cigars. It always seems to overpower them. I tend to enjoy them separately.


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## Tan18_01 (Jun 2, 2011)

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Laphroaig isn't great, but Ardbeg is like licking a chimney. Lagavulin, however... that cannot be beat. Best scotch in the world. Talisker is a close second.


+1 on the Ardberg. I really struggle to drink it and I've tried so many times because many rave about it. Talisker is nice, completely forgot about it.

Bull, I consider myself an intermediate malt drinker and completely agree about pairing a good malt with a good stick. It can make or break the stick.
Unlike you however, I took the easy way out - I drink water with my cigars >90% of the time. I ran at the thought of potentially getting a pairing wrong and taking away from either the stick or drink.


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## Beer Alchemist (Aug 17, 2011)

You guys are killing me...don't like Laphroaig man what is the world coming to. Of course if the 10 year bottling is too over the top try the 15, it is in line with Lagavulin. Of course, the stopped making the 15 and replaced with the 18 and haven't had a chance to try, but I'm hoping it will show up Lagavulin.

Then again I also like Ardbeg, but the 10 year bottling isn't anything to write home about, especially next to Laphroaig 10...their others are mighty tasty though. I am noting that those who don't like them do like their easier going Islay brethren though, so it goes back to the ol' Islay's are not for everyone (just the chosen )


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

I'm gonna have to make a list of all these as I do like Scotch. Last bottle was the Glenlivvet 15 yr old & it didnt do anything for me. Had a scotch with Ian & Brian at Coronas but the name escapes me at the moment (have it written down) - it was Ians fav & the waitress didnt even know they had it because nobody ever orders it but we had it neat & it was smooth.

I need to find a scotch bar like the beer bars with 100 brews on tap - LOL


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## Beer Alchemist (Aug 17, 2011)

Oldmso54 said:


> I'm gonna have to make a list of all these as I do like Scotch. LOL


There are so many good labels out there it would almost be worth starting a list of what not to buy.


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## Oldmso54 (Jul 31, 2010)

Beer Alchemist said:


> There are so many good labels out there it would almost be worth starting a list of what not to buy.


that would work?


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## StogieNinja (Jul 29, 2009)

Beer Alchemist said:


> Of course if the 10 year bottling is too over the top try the 15, it is in line with Lagavulin.


Oh... Yeah, I gotta try that one of these days.


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## maxlexi (Sep 2, 2011)

I just tried The Balvenie 12yo Double Wood and I loved it. Great smooth flavor. I just put one cube in and I was in heaven.


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